by: Diane Fleischman

I couldn’t help but hum to myself as best as I could remember the tune, (59^th Bridge Street) ‘Feelin’ Groovy’ by Simon and Garfunkel, as I headed up to the second floor of the Allentown Art Museum to see their “Fashion as Experiment: the 1960s exhibit.  When I arrived, I was greeting by rooms filled with bright colorful clothes, I haven’t seen in many decades.

I was very young during the 60’s, dare to admit, still in diapers when this decade of free spiritedness began.   I remember colorful flowers, and peace signs painted on my cheeks, dandelions worn in my hair, and those love beads, the signs of a 60’s flower child. This was a time like no other.

The fashions from this decade were the start of bold self-expressions, where pretty much anything went. A reflection of the times, influenced by innovations, inventions, politics, and the music that shaped this decade.  From mini-skirts and   go-go boots, that went together like peanut butter and jelly, to paper dresses and maxi dresses and skirts, and they’re all here in this collection. The collection presents several of the popular designers of this decade.

This young generation yearned to find their own voice in fashion.  A shift began with boutique shops, that specialized in these latest trends, popping up over the country, but here in the Lehigh Valley, the go-to places were Cinrus Garb, and Upper Story in the late 60s.

One of the early 60s influences on fashion was Jacqueline Kennedy, her pill shaped hats, and boxy jackets and capes. The introduction to Womens’ capri pants also began at this time, along with the invention of the bikini bathing suit.

One of the first fashion designers I recognized in this collection was Vera Neumann. Known for her vibrant splashes of color, some pieces abstract, while others were mod blocks or floral prints. During the 60’s the Vera line consisted of dresses, blouses, and scarfs. It was also one of the designers that filled my mother’s closet.

The Souper Dress, produced by the Campbell’s Soup company, is a popular dress in the exhibit. Inspired by the Andy Warhol painting of the Campbells soup can, this dress was cheap and disposable, as it was made of paper. Other designers joined and produced this dress fad.  It was reported that at the time, one could purchase this Campbells dress for a dollar and two soup labels.

On the other end of the spectrum, the maxi dress emerged in the late 60s to early 70s.  An Italian designer, Emilio Pucci, brought a wild energy using kaleidoscopic prints that were consistent to his designs using a lightweight silk jersey material.

They say what comes around in fashion, goes around. I was surprised to see a familiar geometric dress in the exhibit, which with a few alterations in the design made a comeback in today’s fashion several years ago.  The dress imitates a design by Yves Saint Laurent, grids of colored squares, outlined with black lines.

While the majority of exhibit is centered around women’s fashion, the men are also represented. During the late 60s, the peacock revolution began in men’s fashion, offering bright colors and patterns, and plenty of corduroy. Men’s hairstyles started to mirror mop-top styles that were inspired by The Beatles, and by the late 60s, did a 180 for a much longer hippie style length.

The exhibit also displays a great deal of accessories from shoes to sunglasses, hats, and hair accessories.

The exhibit is broken into two categories, Disruptive youth styles consisting of bold colors and pop art influences and the hippie movement and how it connects us to our heritage. The exhibit shows trends and movements and how they were interpreted in the Lehigh Valley.

I spent a couple of hours meandering through the rooms, taking in the colors, styles, and expressions of this decade. Now a good 60 years later, it is amazing to think how much the world has evolved and advanced well beyond this generation.  Looking back to the ways of life in the 60’s seemed so primitive compared to today.  As a young girl growing up in this time, my thoughts were best summed up by that 59^th Street Bridge song,  Feelin’ Groovy, “Life, I love you, All is groovy.”

A great way to beat the summer heat!  Fashion as Experiment: the 60’s is a free exhibit at Allentown Art Museum running until September 24.